Man vs wild: Leopards breed in fields, say experts

Has the leopard-human conflict in AP and TS taken a new dimension? Is Maharashtra’s Akole valley phenomenon of carnivorous cats adapting to human habitation being replicated in Andhra and Telangana?

Wildlife experts say that the recent series of incidents wherein leopards have been spotted in five districts in AP and three in TS, close to towns and rural areas, are indications that the big cats are adapting to human habitations. On Thursday as well there were two instances of leopards being spotted, in Anantapur and Kadapa districts.

Imran Siddiqui of Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society said, “There is no spurt in leopards straying out; in fact they are now adapting to stay close to human habitations. Leopards have started breeding in high crop areas like sugarcane fields. In Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad there have been instances of leopards feeding near garbage dumps. More instances are being reported as people are now more aware of their presence. Goat lifting, cattle kills are taking place.”

Leopards live in high densities in rural areas due to easy availability of stray dogs, pigs and calves. A senior wildlife official of the TS forest department said, “They might have come out in search of food like they stray during summer for water. Leopards can’t feed on adult wild boar as they are strong and difficult to attack.”

AP principal chief conservator of forests, A.V. Joseph said, “They are harmless and are of no danger to humans. In Maharashtra there was a phenomenon of leopards breeding in sugarcane fields. But this is unlikely in AP.

Leopards live in high densities in rural areas due to easy availability of stray dogs, pigs and calves.

The demand for leopards in international wild life trafficking has decreased according to Wildlife Protection Society of India, while the number of poaching incidents have come down according to the forest department. Tiger killings, however, have increased, but the leopard population is stabilising as they are not targeted by poachers.

Wildlife expert Imran Siddiqui said, “We can’t say leopard population is blooming but they have stabilised. Poaching has come down as there are no takers for leopard skin and bones.”
According to WPSI, the illicit international demand for big cat skins continues, there is virtually no market for leopard skins in India.

Population stabilises as poaching reduced:
The demand for leopards in international wild life trafficking has decreased according to Wildlife
Protection Society of India, while the number of poaching incidents have come down
according to the forest department. Tiger killings, however, have increased, but the leopard population is stabilising  as they are not targeted by poachers.

Wildlife expert Imran Siddiqui said, “We can’t say leopard population is blooming but they have stabilised. Poaching has  come down as there are no takers for leopard skin and bones.” According to WPSI, the illicit international demand for big cat skins continues, there is virtually no market for leopard skins in India. 

Tiger population looks up in AP, TS : From 59 in 2013, the number of tigers has shot up to 68 in 2014

By U Sudhakar Reddy

   According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the tiger population of AP and TS had increased by around 10 in 2014 when compared to 2013.
However, there were more tigers in the combined state in 2010. While the number of tigers in 2010 was 72 (with a range of 65 to 79) it has come down to 68 in 2014.

In the entire country, the tiger population in 2014 was recorded as 2,226 in the 18 tiger states including AP and TS. Synchronised all-India Tiger census is done every four years in the country though each reserve carries out its own census every year.

Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve field director Rahul Pandey said, “In 2013, they had given a figure ranging from 53 to 67 tigers with a mid point of 59. In 2014, they have given a figure of 68 (midpoint) that includes 65 tigers in undivided NSTR and three tigers in Kawal sanctuary of Adilabad. This shows that the tiger population has increased by almost 10,”

He added, “There’s no upper limit and lower limit range this time. We are expecting the detailed report by March. The increase in tiger population is due to protection measures. I can’t say there is zero poaching, but it has been minimised. Currently, the tiger density is 1.9 tigers per 100 square kilometers of core area in NSTR.”
The report Status of Tigers India 2014 that was released by NTCA revealed that northern Andhra Pradesh, most parts of Odisha and Jharkhand have continued to lose tiger-occupied habitat and tiger abundance has declined.
The report said both NSTR in Andhra and Kawal in Telangana were areas where there was a potential for increasing tiger population.

Mr Pandey said, “Terrain of tiger reserves of other states is different from AP and TS. We have a vast area, but most of it is hilly terrain. So the carrying capacity is less and our tiger reserves (combined) can accommodate only 120 to 150 tigers,”
NSTR, which is the largest tiger reserve of India, is spread over an area of 3,727 sq. km. It consists of a core area of 2,444 sq. km and a buffer area of 1283 sq. km.

Gulf, Africa youth prefer AP varsities

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The Acharya Nagarjuna University and Andhra University have become preferred destinations for students from strife-torn countries like Iraq and Ethiopia.
Among the 400 foreign students pursing various courses in ANU in Guntur district, most are from Iraq.
Buddhists from Burma, Nepal and Tibet also prefer ANU due to the courses offered on Buddhism and for the varsity’s proximity to Buddhist sites like Amaravati and Ghantasala.
Meanwhile, Africans, mainly Ethiopians, prefer the Andhra University in Visakhapatnam due to the urban location of the campus.

According to academics, with the new AP capital coming up near ANU, the varsity will attract more foreign students in the near future.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Prof. K. Viyyanna Rao said, “They are preferring us due to quality education at a lower cost. Higher education in India is as good as abroad. If foreign students go to the US or UK, for the same course it will cost 10 times more than what they pay here.”

ANU International students’ quarters also have more than 50 Buddhists from Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and Sri Lanka.
“They come here for Buddhist studies. We have Mahayana Buddhism as core area of research. We are collaborating with several countries on Buddhist research. The Archeological Survey of India is also active in this region,” he said.

A Buddhist monk, Nipakalankara of Burma, who is pursuing his studies in ANU said, “We cook our food in the quarters and we have prayer room facilities here and people are receptive.”
VC Prof. Rao said, “We hope to raise the entire Rs 15 crore that will be needed for the new international block being built from the revenue generated through the foreign students. This can accommodate 300 students and it will be a green building with international standards.”
He added from that several students from Iraq were also pursuing M.Tech in the university.

“There are around 150 Iraqis who have taken up engineering, pharmacy, economics, education and management courses. The government of Iraq has shortlisted ANU as one of the 20 preferred higher education institutions,” added Mr Rao.
ANU Rector, Prof. K.R.S. Sambasiva Rao said, “We will sign an MoU with four universities of Tanzania and Ethiopia.”

In AU at Visakhapatnam, about 150 foreign students took admission in the academic year 2014-15. Nearly 50 per cent of the international students in the ongoing academic year are pursuing engineering courses. There are a total of about 600 students from more than 50 countries in the university, said director of International Affairs, Prof B. Mohan Venkataram.
Most of them are from African nations mainly Ethiopia, followed by students from Middle Eastern countries like Iran, Dubai.

Capital cops work out of milk centre : Outposts in existing buildings as police border firms up

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The capital region is getting seeded with its first police stations — only these are in the oddest places possible. Police outposts have been set up at a bus station and a milk collection centre, and a pound for stray cattle is next on the list.

These outposts will be upgraded into police stations, dividing the Tullur police station area into three jurisdictions. The outposts were set up hurriedly following incidents of arson in villages that are opposed to the land pooling scheme.

But not all locals are happy. The Capital Regional Development Authority said that it has rights over the pound to house stray (bandhila doddi) in Penumaka near Undavalli in Guntur district and handed it over to the cops.

Local resident K. Satyanarayana said, “Panchayat officials said the cattle pound was transferred to the CRDA which in turn gave it to cops. We have now no place to keep the stray cows. They have rejected the proposal to take over the electricity bill payment centre.”

A police outpost has already started functioning from a milk collection centre at Mandadam. Inspector B. Srinivasa Rao, who is on deputation to probe the arson attacks, said, “We have nothing to do with land pooling. We are focused on checking the vehicles passing through these roads.” Portions of an RTC bus station have also been taken over for a police outpost.

2,000-year-old caves lie in shambles : Heritage lovers want rock-cut cave in capital zone to be part of Buddhist circuit.

By U Sudhakar Reddy

The 2,000-year-old Bud-dhist rock-cut caves at Seetanagaram on the banks of the Krishna near the capital Amaravati are in shambles.

The caves are full of anthills, bats and thorny overgrowth. The structure has one cell with a rock-cut bed ante-chamber and another cell on the left. They are dated to the Satavahana era in the 1st and 2nd century AD.

“It is very interesting to note that a rock-cut cave structure that was excavated on the Sitanagaram Hill, on the right bank of the River Krishna and next to the Prakasam Barrage, was renovated by plastering the rock-cut walls and ceilings with lime and by adding a frontage and RCC roof to the open verandah and converted into a temple some 20 years back, according to the priest of the Ayyappa temple nearby,” said Buddhist archaeologist and CEO of The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada, E. Siva Nagi Reddy.




Archaeologists and heritage lovers are now demanding that the front wooden gate be locked. Since the cave at present does not house any idol, it should be restored by removing the lime plaster on the walls, RCC ceiling on the left side and front open verandah.

“These caves could be brought on the Amaravati Buddhist circuit taken up by Andhra Pradesh Tourism by erecting a legend board depicting the historical significance of the caves for the benefit of visitors,” Mr Reddy said.

“The suburbs of Vijayawada are studded with a good number of rock-cut caves affiliated with Buddhism and date back to 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The activity was continued during the 4th or 5th centuries AD as noticed at Akkanna Madanna caves, Mogalrajpuram caves and Undavelli caves,”  Mr Nagi Reddy said.

According to archaeologists, the Akkanna Madanna caves, excavated at the foot of the Indrakiladri Hill that are carved with horned dwarapas, date back to 4th century AD and is affiliated to the early Pallavas. The series of five cave temples at Mogalrajpuram were carved with figures of the Nataraja, Durga and Ganesha during 5th Century AD (Vishnu Kundin Period).